Association "For Advocacy of Media" demands investigation of the cases of violence to the journalists on May, 26

The Georgian Association "For Advocacy of Media" sent a statement to the Minister of Interior Affairs of Georgia Vano Merebishvili asking for investigation of all the cases of beating and detention of journalists and destroying there devices during dispersal of the oppositional meeting in Rustaveli avenue on May, 26. 

The message was presented to the public on May, 31, during a round table conference devoted to analyses of the facts of violence to the journalists covering the action of "People's Assembly" at night of May, 26.  

Besides, a twenty-minute film about the journalists who underwent cruelty and violence of the police was shown. 

"The policemen saw us and started shooting with rubber bullets. Then they attacked us and one of them struck me in my head with a cudgel, and then once again. I was shouting that I was a journalist and had a certificate of employment and a parliamentary accreditation. He was shouting in reply that I was Burjanadze's slave", Malkhaz Chkhadua, one of the journalists in the film, correspondent of "Palitra" ("Palette") radio, said. 

"They put the handcuffs on me and took me to police department in Tabukashvili street and then to a department in Digomi. We were not beaten there but were verbally insulted. My friend and I said that we were journalists, not representatives of any political party. Anna Gabunia, journalist undergoing practical training, was detained together with us. They did not beat up the girl but they insulted her calling her Burjanadze's slave, too", Malkhaz Chkhadua continued. 

According to him, the journalists were released only at three o'clock at night. 

Konstantin Stalinsky, independent journalist, did not undergo arrest but he was shot at with rubber bullets which is confirmed by a video record. 

"They shot at me four times. Once they shot in my back. Then riot squad came nearer and shot twice in my side. I had a camera in one hand and a film recorder in the other. I was shouting that I was a journalist but this was followed by the fourth shot", Konstantin Stalinsky says in the film. 

It is doubtful whether the Ministry of Interior Affairs of Georgia had issued target instructions of using force against journalists, Nino Danelia, one of the organizers of the conference, member of the Council of Journalist Ethics Charter, considers. However, she thinks that the policemen realized that they were violating the law by using exorbitant force, that is why they decided to get rid of eye-witnesses.  

"In their interview the journalists spoke of absolutely intolerable facts, for instance, beating up a teen-ager. They shot scenes of people running away and being unable to escape from encirclement. Those who were beating the people up knew that they were acting illegally, that was why they did not wish these scenes to become public", Nino Danelia said. 

In her opinion, journalists in Georgia are unprotected which was clearly demonstrated during dispersal of the meeting.

"We are losing our colleagues, as a result. What we have seen is only one per cent of what really happened", Nino Danelia declared.

Lasha Tugishi, Head of "Kviris Palitra" media holding, agrees that the journalist are unprotected though they do not encounter violence in their everyday activities. 

"In 2007 there was a large-scale aggression of the politicians against media and I observed just the same on May, 26. We should have a strong immunity and be protected from such manifestations of violence from the authorities", Tugishi said. 

The cases of violation of the journalists' rights during dispersal of the meeting demand a special estimation, deputy of the Parliament Greorgy Targamadze declared at the conference. 

Eric Fournier, Ambassador of France in Georgia, who was also present at the conference, on familiarizing himself with the materials presented in the film and evidence of eye-witnesses, emphasized an excellent work of the Association "For Advocacy of Media". 

"It has been very interesting to listen to both parties. Three points of view were presented here: one was that of the Ministry of Interior Affairs, another was that of the journalists and the third one of the people who were just witnesses of the events. Now we have a complete picture", the Ambassador said.

He also emphasized that there was a great difference between what he heard at the conference and the earlier information. 

"We now have additional data which will be extremely interesting to analyze what has happened. I think we should support OSCE which recently sent a message to the Georgian Government calling to render assistance in investigation of these facts. We are also going to ask them to provide us with all the necessary materials", Eric Fournier said. 

Representatives of neither the Ministry of Interior Affairs nor the parliamentary majority were present at today's meeting.

The Ministry of Interior Affairs represented by Head of Informational and Analytic Department has already presented its apologies for the actions of the policemen who had used force against the journalists. However, Tamar Kordzaia, representative of the "Association of Young Lawyers", considers that the police must investigate the facts of violence impartially and offset the harm caused to the journalists by beating them and destroying their devices.